NASA hasn’t completely given up on propellant depots. At least, not all of it.

NASA hasn’t completely given up on propellant depots. At least, not all of it.

NASA hasn’t completely given up on propellant depots. At least, not all of it.

Michael Belfiore reports that winners of COTS contracts will be ineligible for America’s Space Prize.

This makes sense. Bigelow probably wants to encourage as many players as possible, and he wants to encourage commercial space companies, so this spreads the wealth, increasing diversity in space access providers. And COTS winners don’t really need the prize money anyway. It’s the same philosophy that disqualified people from winning the X-Prize using government-developed hardware.

Brian “Rocket Guy” Walker’s latest thrill scheme is to launch himself with a giant crossbow.

Hey, it’s reusable…

Robin Snelson says that you can still form a team for the Lunar Lander Challenge.

I do think that NASA is being overly restrictive with regard to propellants. I mean, it’s not like they’re proposing fluorine. It’s just acid.

Over at The Space Review today, Jeff Foust writes that space enthusiasts have to avoid the Segway problem of overhype. On a related note, Bob Clarebrough says that space entrepreneurs need to be both visionary and customer focused.

[Late morning update]

Clark Lindsey has further thoughts.

Jesse Londin has a good roundup of comments on the new NPRM from FAA-AST on experimental permits for reusable rockets.

Bigelow Aerospace seems to be making good progress in developing private orbital facilities (a key component of a spacefaring infrastructure). Alan Boyle has more.

The new New Space News is out.